Outlet receptacle



' 1927. June H. E. SLADE QUTLET RECEPTACLE Filed Feb. 16, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1,631,507 June 7 1927. H. E. SLADE OUTLET RECEPTACLE Filed Feb-.16, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 7, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,631,507 PATENT OFFICE- H AROLD E. SLADE, OF NEWARK. NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 BEAVER MACHINE &

TOOL 00., INC., OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

OUTLET RECEPTACLE.

Application filed February 16, 1924. SerialNo. 693,195.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved form of convenience outlet receptacle that is economical to manufacture and at the same time of very substantial construction.

The improvement has to do with the contact members and a novel method of fastening the supporting strap to the body member.

As now made the supporting strap is generally fastened to the body member of the receptacle either by eyelets moulded into the composition and acting as rivets or by the use of screws.

In my improved receptacle I do not en1- ploy either of these methods but have devised a supporting strap in which tongues or clamping members are formed integrally, thus saving the cost of screws, eyelets, etc.

The following is a clear description and specification .covering the invention and is to be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the receptacle assembled.

assembling the contact members.

Figure 5 is a perspective of the contact member.

Figure 6 is a development of contact member Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a plan view showing another method of assembling the strap to the body member.

Figure 8 is a partial section along line 3-3 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is an end elevation of the receptacle body member.

Figure 10 is a perspective of the end of the receptacle body member.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of one en of the modified form of strap.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2; 1 is a base member made from any suitable insulating material such as porcelain, asbestos compounds etc., in which apertures 2-2 are provided to accommodate the parallel type of attachment plug cap prongs and angular 1y disposed to these apertures and connecting therewith are apertures 3-3 for the accommodation of tandem type attachment plug prongs. 4

s the use and functions of an attachment plug cap are familiar to those versed in the art the caps and their associated prongs are omitted from the drawings. I

Extending from the lower side of the base member and connecting with the apertures 2-2 and 3-3, are recesses 4-4 in which the contact members, Fig. 5 and indicated as 5-5 in Fig. 2, are housed.

The recesses 4-4 are so proportioned relatively to the contacts 5-5 that the latter have a floating action. This floating action eliminates strains between the contacts and the prongs of the attachment plug cap if there is any tendency for them to be misalined.

Associated with the contacts 5-5 is an insulating strlp 6 which separates them clec trically from the strap or supporting memher 7. This supporting member is provided with means in the form of slots 8-8 for attaching the receptacles to the outlet box (not shown) and with threaded holes 9-9 for attaching the face plate (not shown) to the receptacle.

As shown in Figure 3, the strap or supporting member 7 is made from a single piece of metal formed so as to have a base element 10, perpendicular element 11 and projecting fastening lug 12. Cutfrom the base element 10 are resilient tongues 13-13. The perpendicular element 11 is slotted as. indicated at 14-44: forming the clamping lugs 15-15.

In assembling the receptacle the contacts 5-5 are placed in the recesses 4.4; the in sulator 6 is placed over the contacts and the supporting strap '7 is placed over the insulator. The-parts are then placed in a suitable device or fixture and pressure is brought to bear against the face of the body member 1 as indicated by arrows P-P, the clamping lugs 15-15 are then pressed inwardly as indicated by arrows P 1 over the inclined surfaces 16-16 at the bottom of re cesses 17-17. Any irregularities in thickness of the base 1 which would cause looseness in the strap is compensated for by the resilient tongues 13-13.

An improved form of contact is shown in Figures 5 and 6 in which 18 is-"a base member, 19 is a bindin post member provided with ears or projeetlons 20-20 forpreventing the commuting wire from squeezing out from under the binding screw 21. From the base 18is a contact member 22 flared as at 23, for engaging one side of a parallel blade of an attachment plug cap.

' At the end of and angularly disposed to the contact member 22 is an arm 24, flared as at 25, for engaging-0110 side of a tandem blade of an attachment plug cap. member 18, and parallel with arm 24, is raised a second contact member 26, flared as at 27, for engaging the other side of the tandem blade of an attachment plug cap. At the end of and angularly disposed to the contact member 26, 1s a second arm 28, flared as at 29, and parallel to contact member 22, for engaging the other side of the parallel blade of an attachment plug cap.

Thus a pair of these contacts are used in a base in which either the tandem or parallel types of attachment plug caps may be in sertcd.

In the modified form of supporting strap as shown by Figs. 7-811 a. slightly diflierent method of assembling the strap to the receptacle base is used.

The strap member 7 is substantially the same as that shown heretofore and designated as 7.

The difi'erence in construction is that the slots 14.1 l in members 1111 Figure 3 are omitted and in their stead is cut and turned inward from members 1111 lugs or ledges -30 Figures 78-11.

The base member 1*, Figures 78.910; is provided with recesses 31-31 at the extreme end portions 32-32. Leading up to the recesses 3131 from both sides of the end portions 3232 are inclines 3333- 33-33.

From the base r In the placing of the strap in its final position, the insulating strip 6 is placed upon the resilient tongues 13-13-1313" cut from the base member 10 of the strap, the base member 1 is inserted edgewise between the insulating strip 6 and the ledges 30-30 so that the ledges 3030 rest upon the inclines 3333.

By putting pressure on the edge of the base member 1 the'inclines 33-33 act as a wedge whereby the resilient tongues l3 3 are forced downward, allowing the entire strap member to move at right angles to the major axis of body until such time as the ledges 30-430, snap into the recesses 3l31 of the body member 1 and thereby become locked.

Having described my invention what I claim is A contact member for an outlet recep' tacle comprising a base member, a binding screw member formed at right angles to said base member, a contact member formed at right angles to said base member, a second contact member formed at right angles to said base member and at an obtuse angle to the first contact member; said first contact member being provided with a projecting member formed so as to be parallel to and coact with said second contact member; said second contact member being provided with a projecting member formed so as to be parallel to and coact with said first contact member; said coaction to produce a positive gripping action on both sides of an attachment plug cap blade when inserted between said contact members.

Signed by me this 14th day of February, 1924, at Newark, N. J.

HAROLD E. SLADE. 

